


A promise (Erwin Smith x OC)

by White_Yuuki



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Army, Arranged Marriage, Depression, F/M, Forced Marriage, Friendship/Love, Love, Marriage, Older Man/Younger Woman, Sad, Top Erwin Smith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-08-29 08:03:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16740202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/White_Yuuki/pseuds/White_Yuuki
Summary: This is a story I have decided to continue for a while now, so please let me know if you like the idea :)





	1. 1. The forgotten Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a story I have decided to continue for a while now, so please let me know if you like the idea :)

The little girl was sitting on the small bench in her parents' garden. The weather was surprisingly nice. A warm wind touched her young, little chubby for a six years old, cheeks. Her green, always curious eyes with a gleam, looked around to find a boy, who always came to see her. He was late today. She felt nervous, as he is never late. She ran her hand over her long, blonde hair, thinking of what could have happened.

The kid looked up, hearing the steps. A big smile went on her lips when a tall, blonde 16 years old boy, came out from behind the hill. She stood up, ready to go and hug him, as she always did, but something was different. His blue eyes, always giving her a calm look, now seemed absent.

She turned her head and looked with astonishment at the woman at his side. It was rare when Mrs Smith came to visit. After the death of her husband, she did not like to socialize. Especially, with people of lower social class.

It was surprising that a woman like that did not marry again, after becoming a widow. She was a beautiful and well-behaved woman. Despite a fairly dry attitude to the world and people, she could easily find a husband. But she decided to stay alone, raising her, too serious for his age, son, according to her rules and principles.

Despite the fear she felt for the woman, the girl decided to approach her friend who always smiled at her lightly. This time, however, she did not throw herself at his neck, but as befits a young lady, she bowed low.

"Mrs Smith, it's nice to see you" she started giving her one of her sweetest smiles.

The woman, however, weighed the kid up, after a warm welcome, then passed her and headed to the building next to them. Waiting for the door to open, she looked around. Her face betrayed everything. She did not want to be here. But she promised something to her husband and, with the agreed agreement, she had to come here, along with her only son, who was about to enlist in the army tomorrow, to her great disapproval.

"Mrs Smith!" A small, slightly chubby woman, looked with surprise at, how she liked to call, 'friend' and then smiled slightly. "Erwin- good to see you both. That is quite a surprise, please come in!" She looked at her little girl, and, with a small sign by the hand, made her come in. "What can we do for you, Christa?" She asked the guest when they made their way inside.

"Where is your husband, Helen?" The woman asked in a serious tone. Apparently, she was in a hurry not even trying to hide her impatience. Her eyes were cool when laid down on a little girl at her son's side.

"Annie, honey, please go for your father!" her green eyes looked at mom, with a small concern, but nodded her head anyway, leaving the room. "What is it, Christa? You seem stressed today, well, at least, more than usual."

"Well as you know, my son turned 16 a week ago, and he just decided to tell me today, that he is going to be a soldier. So before he does that, I need to make sure that everything is settled."

"Settled, for what?" They turned around, hearing a deep voice of a tall man, with a weekly beard on. Comparing to his wife, he was a well build 30 years old, factory worker, with an always serious look in his eyes. Even though looking quite scary, he was, as often described by his own daughter, 'a cute teddy bear'. "Welcome Erwin, good to see you." He approached the boy and shook his hand, never taking his eyes off the woman. It was no secret that he didn't like her much. Perhaps his wife tolerated her humours, but he had no intention to. Perhaps, she was beautiful, but her moody character drove him crazy. He never understood how his best friend could have married someone like that.

However, young Erwin was different. He was a reflection of his father. Calm and composed. And incredibly smart. A brilliant kid who always had something to say and was not afraid to make his point.

A 16-year-old who was not afraid to talk about the world outside the walls. The kid who gained his respect when he happily talked about joining the Scouts. He was happy, that his little daughter could call him her 'older brother'. But today something was wrong. He saw it after his gaze. Always warm and joyfully looking at the little one, now it seemed absent and as if ... Was he ashamed?

"Well, I think it would be better if we sit down." She began, not even waiting for the reaction of the hosts, taking a seat at the table.

He did not want to come here. He tried to talk to his mother out of it, so she would forget about it and just let it go. But her anger at him turned on them. He looked with the pain, at the little girl who was standing by. He saw that, despite her young age, she sensed something. She was intelligent, and the knowledge, taken from his stories, absorbed incredibly quickly in her little head.

He liked her, seeing her as a younger sister, that's why he felt bad now. He could not help anything. He looked at the old man hopefully, being the only one who could make his mother change her mind.

"I was looking through Erik's things and I found this." The man shivered when he saw a familiar document. His eyes narrowed automatically and sweat appeared on his forehead. How did this woman find it? No ... it can not be true! He looked with horror at his wife and then at his daughter. His little innocent girl was to pay for his stupid mistakes, made a couple of years ago. He was on a verge of mental health and did it only to make sure, that his best friend would take care of his family if something happened to him. But now, that this woman had this document... This was seriously bad.

"Come, Annie, what do you say about reading something to me?" Asked the blonde, taking a small hand, leading her outside the room.

"Wait, Erwin. You must stay here", his mother interrupted, never taking her eyes off the terrified man. She was a serious woman who took such contracts seriously.

"No, mother." She turned away with anger, looking at her son. "You will not do it in front of her." After which, without saying anything, he left the room with the girl by the hand, leaving the adults alone.

"What is this?" Helena asked, taking the document to her hand. Her face grumbled with every newly-read sentence. "Darling, what is that?" She asked in a trembling voice. "What the hell is that !" She cried, rising hurriedly, glancing at him with an icy stare.

"This, my dear Helena, is paper that connects our two children with a marriage vows." The woman explained slowly, apparently doing nothing to the terrified deuce. "A document that your husband signed with my husband. A document that protects you financially, in the event of any situation in during which you may be in danger." Her eyebrow flashed with satisfaction seeing the horror in the man's eyes. She was glad that someone so proud, looked like a terrified child. And thanks to her alone. She made him this aspen. That coward who now had tears in his eyes.

"Why are you doing that? Why now?" The father asked, looking at her in cold blood. He was really close to getting rid of this woman from their lives. "Erwin is your son! You are destroying his life in this way, as well."

"My son was stupid enough to bring my husband to death." She interrupted him stoically.

"But Christa, you will not get anything from that." The chubby woman breaks into the conversation, still trembling with horror. "You will only be on a losing side!"

"You're wrong!" She stood up slowly with a smile of satisfaction on her lips. "Erwin goes to the army tomorrow, and I am away to Sina. I'm not going to stay in this hole. Of course, what belongs to this brat will be his, but nothing more."

"You're robbing your own son!" Jan shouted, rising hurriedly, leaning toward her." From his money and his future."

"That brat robbed me of the man I loved!" She said with contempt, turning slowly.

"Do not do it, Christa. You are the only person who can invalidate this document! Even Erwin himself will not be able to do it." Helena stopped her by the arm, but squealed in horror as the woman pushed her away with all her strength.

"That does not interest me anymore." And then she left, leaving the terrified two, standing over the paper.

"What have you done!" She looked at her husband with hatred in her eyes. "How could you!"

"I thought I would protect you, protect you both..." He whispered, feeling his heart break slowly, into a few hundred small pieces.

***

"What's going on?" The blonde girl asked, turning the next page of the book.

"Nothing to worry." He murmured, stroking her head. So she did it? He expected it. He felt her hatred. She hated him even more, since yesterday, when at the last moment, he informed her that he would join the Survey Corps to explore the outside world like his father always wanted. If he knew about this document, he would have told her earlier, he could have done something.

However, it's all his fault. If he would keep his mouth shut, his father would still be alive and that stupid marriage would be annulled.

"Erwin?" He looked at her, feeling her small hand on his shoulder. "Is it true that you will join the Scouts?" she asked, with her eyes sparkling.

"Yes," he answered casually, smiling sadly.

"Then I will join as well, and we can see the outside world together. That's a promise!" He looked at her with astonishment and laughed lightly, stroking her hair slightly.

"Forgive me, but play for a moment alone, okay?" And then he moved to the living room. He had to see them. Apologize. Do something ... they ... Forced marriage? It's too cruel.

"Forgive me, Erwin!" the man looked at him with pain in his eyes "forgive me I destroyed your life" the blond looked at his 'aunt' and felt a growing anger.

"I'll think of something! She must firstly turn 21, then we will worry." Then he left them, feeling the same anger towards the mother, as he felt, to the soldiers who murdered his father. He decided. He will become a Scout, and he will come up with a way to take care of it. Fix what his mother screwed up.

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Seeing an outside world has been Anna's dream since she heard about it from her 10 years older, best friend, Erwin Smith. But what if everything she dreamed of collapses because of one stupid mistake from the past? What if a man who once was her friend, becomes a stranger, who she needs to forcibly marry in exchange for her family safety? A story about finding the past in present, a fallen dream, which leads, to a new, better one.


	3. Ten years ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo... Another chapter came :) A little bit of background before the story kicks off :)

He stood at the door of the house. He knew it would not be an easy decision. He heard that a new girl was born to them. From what he heard, she was less than 8 years old now. More than Anna, that day.

He knocked on the door and was numbed to see hazel eyes, small brown-haired girl.

"Who are you?" She asked, closing the door a little bit, with distrust. He laughed inwardly, seeing her stubbornness not to let the stranger enter the house.

"Are the parents home?" He asked as gently as he could. He wasn't good with children. Ten years in the army erased this feature. He could not talk to them anymore. He was not a child anymore, so it seemed more difficult.

"You didn't answer my question!" He raised an eyebrow, apparently surprised, of the persistence of the little one.

"Nala, who is this?" Asked the lady of the house, slowly heading for the door "Erwin!" The woman squealed in horror, dropping her glass. "Oh my God, forgive me, you just surprised me!"

He smiled apologetically, hurriedly, picking up the broken glass. He took a step forward, slowly entering, feeling the small creature's eyes on his back. He looked around when he got rid of the broken glasses. Nothing has changed here. In addition to wrinkles, which began to appear on the forehead of his 'aunt'. He bent down and, feeling a stab in his heart, kissed the woman in cheek.

"Where is Jan?" Asked, going deeper into the living room. The woman looked at the tall, handsome man who stood in front of her. During those 10 years, he became a handsome, well-known soldier.

"Cutting a tree to the fireplace." She replied, taking Nala with her, who was already boiling to quarrel with the newcomer. "Please sit down, he will be glad to see you." Her mild smile hasn't changed at all. She was always caring and over-protective in relation to him. He has not spoken for 10 years, and she greets him at home as if they saw each other yesterday.

"Honey, I feel winter will come soon!" They heard a familiar voice behind them. "I cut a little extra so that I won't have to go twice." He put down the tree by the fireplace and then straightened up, feeling like a stomach goes down his throat.

"Erwin..." He whispered, stepping over to him. The blond stood up slowly and shook the old man's hand, who compare to his wife, aged much worse. "For God's sake boy, was it impossible to write a letter for 10 years!?" he smiled apologetically as he sat back to the table. He looked away, feeling the youngest look on himself.

"You still have not answered my question!" She said, taking a seat beside him at the table, eating bread, which his mother had brought under HIS, not her, nose.

"Nala, be polite" the woman grumbled, giving her a glazed look.

"You're a stubborn one, eh?" He finally asked when she did not take her eyes off him. She nodded firmly, still eating the loaf as if sending him a strong signal.

"My name is Erwin Smith and I am a colonel of Scouts" the girl has gotten a piece of bread, drinking greedily, not believing what she was told.

"From THESE Scouts?" she squeaked excitedly as if only now noticing the wings on his uniform. "how do you know my parents!?" she asked, mechanically putting the bread back under his nose.

"Erwin is an old friend of the family" her father replied, stroking her lightly. The girl's eyes sparkled as if she had just opened the best Christmas present.

"The kids will be so jealous!" She screamed with excitement, then ran out of the house with a piece of bread in her hand.

"An energetic child" the blond murmured, looking back at the two. "but that's not why I am here." his face took on a serious look and sighed long. "I came here to talk about Anna." they both shuddered, not expecting such direct from his side.

"Anna, she went to the store, she should come back in a while" the man replied, feeling the recurring pain in his chest when the memories of that day were coming back.

"No ... " the blond interrupted him, feeling dryness in his throat, "better for her not to be present at this conversation."

"Erwin, you ... " the woman sat on a stool, looking at the man with tears in his eyes, "please tell me that you found a way to invalidate this marriage!" the young man took a sip of water, standing in the middle of the table and shook his head.

"Unfortunately not. In addition..." he stopped here, wrapping his arms around the chest. He sighed anew, deciding to start from the beginning. "I had a plan to destroy these papers. I wanted there to be no trace left of it. Unfortunately, I have many enemies in the ward", he stopped and stood up slowly, going to the window, looking at the children playing. "I am the most likely deputy of General Shadis, so there are people who tried their best, to find something that would destroy me."

"And they found this document" finished the old man, putting his face in his hands.

"They found out about it. And now I was indirectly forced to fulfil this contract", they both looked at him in horror. "I will marry Anna and I will provide you with personal and financial security if anything were to happen behind the walls!" He turned and looked at them apologetically. He stood in the middle and saluted. "And now excuse me, but I have to come back", the same as what he did 10 years ago, he left without a word.

***

She stood in front of the door, hearing a familiar voice coming from the centre of the house. She shuddered when she heard the name and the surname of their guest. It is impossible. What was he doing here? After 10 years? After all these years of complete silence, as if he had completely forgotten about them. Then ... He did not even say goodbye to her. He left the apartment, leaving their parents with tears in their eyes.

She took a step back when the door opened violently, from which her younger sister jumped. Without noticing the blonde, she ran ahead to show off their 'new, old' friend.  
She wanted to go inside when she heard a serious blond voice. She felt her heart beat faster after a moment. Marriage? Agreement? What were they talking about? She did not understand anything, standing there in complete shock without even hearing the door open again.

She widened her eyes with fear, looking at the man in front of her. He looked at her for a long moment, then, with understanding, he avoided her without a word of explanation.

She looked back, not even able to make a sound. He overtook her as if they did not know each other. As if he'd never seen her before. Maybe he did not recognize her? No! She saw it in his gaze. He knew who she was.

She bit her lower lip and went into the house, trying to calm her slammed heart. She was shivering, seeing the same view she had seen 10 years ago. The two, the beloved of her people, sat at the same table with the same faces and horrified eyes.

"I came back", she murmured, deciding to ignore what she had heard and seen. For their good, and happiness, she will act, that never happened.

That day she decided that she would never let tears come into their eyes. She will protect them, even at the cost of her own life. And 8 years ago, when she saw the beautiful, hazel eyes of her little sister, she promised herself that when she's turned 16 she would join the army to fight for the freedom of humanity alongside the Scouts.

But it did not matter now. Her dreams and plans for the future do not matter. She must forget about them. She must suppress her selfish needs and stay at home and wait for Erwin Smith to come and make her his wife. She will do everything to be sure that her family will be safe and live joyfully. Even if she had to give up her happiness in life.

She was not stupid or deaf. She knew what was waiting for her. If he did not take it with him now, it meant he waited until he was 21 years old. Then she will no longer legally 'belong' to her father, and even without his consent, she will be able to get married.

***

He looked at her for a moment, not sure who just got in his way. However, he soon realized who this beautiful young woman is. Her green eyes have not changed, even though she has grown up, becoming a beautiful young lady.

 

No, he can't talk to her now. She does not need to know yet. Five years remain until that day, everything can still happen. He knew how stupid that sounded, but he did have faith that this will change.

He passed her as if he had nothing to do with her, hoping that she had forgotten him quickly, as he desired, leaving her 10 years ago, without any goodbye.

 


End file.
